Tiassa (30 page)

“Yes, that is true.”

“I can tell you the nature of that assistance.”

“Ah, can you? I hope, then, that you will do so.”

“He practices the Eastern magical arts, by which means he has two jhereg—that is, if the brigadier will forgive me, two of the animals—who watch over him, and assist him in various ways.”

“What ways?”

“When I saw him, they were often perched on his shoulders, or else flying about watching, and, I have no doubt, magically reporting to him what they saw.”

“This is most remarkable, Ensign. Are you certain?”

“I am.”

Khaavren nodded. “This Easterner is formidable, for one of his race.”

“With this, I agree, my lord Brigadier.”

“Is there more?”

“That is all, my lord.”

“If you think of anything else pertaining to this Easterner, or this mission, tell me at once.”

“I will not fail to do so.”

Timmer rose, bowed, and took her leave; Khaavren returned to his office. He sat behind his desk. Borteliff, who was engaged in placing folders in a file cabinet, looked at him. “Well,” said Khaavren. “We seem to have landed ourselves a thorny problem.”

Borteliff, who would not even permit himself a grunt of agreement, bobbed his head slightly. Khaavren nodded back and returned to other matters.

A few hours later he was still at his desk, the remains of a bowl of soup and a few crusts of bread in front of him when he was informed that Palaniss wished to see him. He directed the Dragonlord be admitted at once.

“Brigadier,” he said.

“Palaniss, you have something to tell me.”

“I have indeed.”

“Well, if you have found the silver tiassa, do not delay, for I wish to know at once.”

“Alas, we did not find the artifact.”

“So much the worse!”

“However—”

“Ah! Ah! You found something, then?”

“It would be strange if I did not, for it was a small place, and I made certain to miss nothing.”

“Was it, then, unoccupied?”

“Oh, no; a Chreotha family had moved in. I had them wait in the street until I was finished.”

“Ah, very good. So then, what did you find?”

“In the floor of the master bedroom was a concealed hole, as one might use to hide valuables.”

“I see. And what was in it?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing, except—”

“Well?”

“Except a piece of velvet, as if to provide a resting place for something delicate.”

“That is very significant. And did you inspect the velvet?”

“With the greatest care.”

“And what did you learn?”

“That something had, indeed, been laid on it, and it looked very much as if it could be a small, sculpted tiassa.”

“So then, it was there!”

“That is my conclusion, Brigadier.”

“That was well done, Palaniss.”

“You are kind to say so, Brigadier.”

“Now the question is, what became of it?”

“He could have removed it.”

“Unlikely. He was arrested, you recall, before the operation was completed.”

“That is true.”

“Could the Chreotha family have taken it?”

“No, Brigadier. They had installed a safe, and their valuables were in there. If they knew of the concealed hole, they would have used it, as it was better protection than the safe.”

“You looked in the safe?”

“Of course.”

Khaavren nodded. “So, then, it was taken after the Jhereg, Dathaani, was arrested.”

“By whom?”

“That is the question.”

“And can you answer it?”

“Perhaps I can, by asking another question.”

“If you have a question, well, I am listening.”

“This is it, then: Who else, besides Dathaani, knew Dathaani had the silver tiassa?”

“The thief he hired to steal it for him?”

“Yes, that is true. Who else?”

“No one.”

“No one?”

“Oh, yes—was there some talk of the Countess being aided by a pair of Jhereg, was there not?”

“There was.”

“We must find out who these Jhereg are.”

“That is useless, for I already know.”

“How, you know?”

“Yes, I was given this information.”

“And does the brigadier wish to share this information?”

“One of them, I will not say. There are certain matters of high politics involved.”

“Very well, I accept that. And the other?”

“A certain Easterner who, it happens, is or was married to the Count of Szurke.”

“Ah, ah.”

“You perceive, Palaniss, that it all fits together.”

“Indeed it does, Brigadier. So either this Easterner woman—”

“Cawti.”

“—has it, or she has disposed of it, very likely to her husband.”

“Who is, from your report, on the run from the Jhereg.”

“Exactly.”

Palaniss frowned. “I do not yet see how the Jhereg fits in.”

“Nor do I. We will discover this.”

“Yes, Brigadier. What are my orders?”

“Are you able to gain the confidence of an Easterner?”

The Dragonlord hesitated. “I do not know. It is not something I have ever attempted.”

“Attempt it now. See if you can confirm that she took the artifact, and learn what she did with it. Remember that she is an Easterner. Flatter her by treating her with courtesy as if she were human—they cannot resist that.”

“As you say, Brigadier.”

With this, Khaavren dismissed her and silently considered what he had learned. After a brief period of thought—Khaavren, as we know, wasted thoughts no more than he wasted words—he concluded that he could come to no conclusions until he received more information than he at present possessed, and he accordingly put the matter out of his mind.

Some time later, he received a report from Timmer, but it was only that they had begun their investigation. This news, while welcome, did nothing to give Khaavren additional material with which to construct theories or test conjectures.

He worked well into the night, supervising the investigators (which he could do, thanks to the remarkable powers of the Orb, without actually being present), and when he was finally overcome by sleep, lay down on a cot in his office.

Borteliff woke him early the next morning with klava, a warm, moist towel, and the summary, prepared by his staff during the night, of any incidents of which the captain ought to be aware. He sipped the one, used the other, than quickly perused the third. As there was nothing in this latter that required immediate attention (some hints of trouble among longshoreman, the particularly gruesome murder of a wealthy Orca), he turned his attention once more to the strange matter of Count Szurke and the silver tiassa.

Within the hour, messengers began to deliver reports of investigations; these Khaavren read them as they appeared, making notations in the margins whenever anything caught his interest, such as symbols indicating more inquiry required, or pay particular attention, or see if this alibi can be sustained. He searched for patterns, and for unusual activity of any sort; particularly following the efforts to learn who the mysterious Issola nobles were.

In the middle of the afternoon, Palaniss returned, begging permission to report. Khaavren had her admitted at once, being anxious to hear what she had learned.

“Well, well, Palaniss,” he said. “To judge by the expression on your countenance, you have not met with complete success.”

“I’m sorry to say, Brigadier, that you are entirely correct.”

“Ah, so much the worse.”

“If you wish, I will tell you about it.”

“That is exactly what I wish. Come, sit down. That is better. Were you able to find the Easterner?”

“Oh, yes; I found her. There was no difficulty in that.”

“And was she willing to speak with you?”

“Yes, she was willing, although—”

“Yes?”

“She seemed cold, even unfriendly.”

“That is odd.”

“Yes, it seems strange, and even, upon reflection, ungrateful.”

“Very true, Palaniss. Did you endeavor to follow my advice?”

“I did, Brigadier, and, I’m sorry to say, she was intransigent.”

“Intransigent?”

“Exactly.”

“Yet, you flattered her?”

“I treated her with all deference.”

“It is unusual. More than unusual, it is strange.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Brigadier.”

“So, then, she refused to tell you anything?”

“She pretended she had never heard of the artifact.”

“Impossible!”

“I agree.”

“Did you get any hint of deception?”

“Ah, as to that, it is possible.”

“Possible?”

“She held her face immobile and kept her eyes on mine, as humans will often do when they do not wish to give away their feelings; it often means deception. I do not know what this means among Easterners.”

“Nor do I. It is dangerous to make assumptions—”

“That is true, Brigadier. You have often said that when you assume, you are thinking like a fish.
*
”

“It is true that I have said that, and I am glad you remember. Nevertheless, we may, in this case, use as a working hypothesis that she knows more than she is saying on the matter.”

“I am entirely in agreement,” said Palaniss. “So, then, what is the next step?”

“Let us reflect.”

“Oh, I am entirely in favor of reflecting.”

“Good, then.”

“But—”

“Yes?”

“Upon what should we reflect?”

“Ah, you ask that?”

“I do, and, if necessary, I even ask it again.”

“Well, I wish to reflect upon this: If our assumption is correct, and this Easterner did take the artifact from the home of Dathaani—”

“Yes, if she did?”

“Then what might she have done with it?”

“Ah, yes. I must say, Brigadier, that that is a good subject upon which to reflect.”

“I am gratified that you think so, Palaniss.”

“So, then, I am now reflecting.”

“As am I.”

After some few moments of silent reflection, Khaavren said, “It is possible that she has it concealed in her home.”

“Yes, that is possible.”

“Or she may have given it to someone else.”

“What of selling it?”

Khaavren frowned. “If it is made of solid silver, it is not without value, and yet—”

“Well?”

“Something tells me that, whatever her reasons for acquiring it, it was not for its monetary value.”

“I know you too well, Brigadier, to mistrust your instincts.”

“So, then, who might she have given it to?”

“She has a son, Brigadier.”

“Ah, has she? Well, that is certainly a possibility.”

“And then, of course, we must not forget her estranged husband, Count Szurke.”

“In fact, Palaniss, it was toward him that my thoughts were tending.”

“You think she gave it to him?”

“It is not impossible.”

The Dragonlord nodded. “It certainly seems to be a possibility, perhaps even a likelihood.”

“But then, if it is true, you perceive our situation?”

“I am not certain I understand what the brigadier does me the honor to tell me.”

“Why, we are searching for the silver tiassa, are we not?”

“That is true.”

“Well, if it is in the possession of Count Szurke, that gains us nothing, as we have no way of finding him.”

“Ah, that is true. So, in fact, this intelligence does us little good.”

“That is my judgment, Palaniss. Nevertheless, I may be beginning to see the start of a pattern here.”

“A pattern? Can you describe it?”

“Not yet,” said Khaavren, frowning. “I must reflect.”

“I will point out, in case you have forgotten, that the Jhereg are after Count Szurke.”

Khaavren shook his head. “This is not the Jhereg. There is no direction, no goal. These are events that are occurring without a mind guiding them. There are many elements, many goals, many tracks. That is to say, we are seeing the result of a clash of intentions, not the working out of a plan.”

“I see. But then, what must we do?”

Khaavren’s eyes widened slightly. “Why, that was very well said, Palaniss.”

“How, was it?”